Roar
by time-will-give-us-nothing
Summary: COMPLETE! While the golden trio is gone, here comes along Neville. Here his true personality blossoms as he saves a kid from the cruciartus curse and learns his 'true' patronus. The Tale Of The Knight's Lion


**Roar**

_The Tale Of The Knight's Lion_

When Neville first got a _solid _hold on his Patronus, it wasn't when he had learned it from Harry Potter( The boy who was out saving the world right now(with his _bestest_ friends). No, when Neville presented his Pratonus to them in the room of requirement, though he was excited, he did not believe for a _second _that the deer was his animal. Neville had no issues against deers, it's just...he didn't feel the _right _connection. Even if the animal was presented right in front of him, good and whole, all the mist conjoined in one firm, running(around in circles(might be a stupid deer) through the room, full of mirth, Neville just couldn't..._feel _it. There was something disconnecting them—they weren't melted together like the others seemed to be.

No, Neville _knew _he had the right patronus when he was laying on the floor in Muggle Studies, curled up in a ball from just being crucio-fied.

It all played out something like a movie, where a geek finally decides to stand up for himself—only thing was, Neville was standing up for someone _else_. Ever since Snape had been deemed headmaster of the school, and Hogwarts had been taken over my death eaters, the castle had been chaotic. And what was worse?: The golden trio was missing, off saving everyone's butts.

Neville's temper was running extremely close to the edge—he felt like he was just about to burst. It had been only been two months of the change, and he already wanting to punch each teacher in the face. This was nothing like Neville—Neville did _not _promote violence. He would _never _hurt anyone—_ever_(save Bellatrix Lestrang, who brutally swiped his parents clean of Sanity). Neville trembled just with a simple threat or stupid, hurtful joke—but not anymore. No, someone had to stand up—give hope.

The castle was surrounded with death eaters, who weren't exactly doing their job of keeping the bad people out. They were failing miserably, actually. This place was hell—everyone was afraid. If you showed up to school this year, you were locked. No way out...not really. People were _so _scared. They trembled in fear at lunch, breakfast, and dinner, and if you lightly brush against their shoulder's in the halls, they'd flinch, thinking they were about to be submitted to a world of excruciating pain. It was pathetic, really. Neville didn't know how many girls and boys—young or old—sobbing in a corner as he walked by. He couldn't take it anymore.

It was unbearable.

That day had started out like always. He had began with Muggle Studies, and stayed in there for two bells—at that time, it was second bell. Barely anyone was actually looking at Alecto—more of the floor. Looking at Alecto was like staring into the eyes of a bull—she would think it a challenge. She _loved _challenges. Neville was not exactly looking in her _eye_, but neither was he staring at the floor like some frightened child. He stared at her lips, concentrating on them hard.

All the words she spat out were repulsive—constant rambling on Muggle filth. _She _was filth. Suddenly, someone became confident—or maybe just fed up. Ciara Blake, at the front of the class, in desk _1_, who was already clenching onto the table with all of her might, had finally _had it! _Sucking up all the moister in her mouth, the formed a glob and when the death eater turned to face the class, she spewed it right onto her face.

The class, which was already death silent, keeping noises none and breath short, had just silenced completely. Breath caught in their throat, they didn't dare move. Alecto slowly turned her head to Ciara, her lip trembling. The spit ball had landed right between her eye and nose, and she was _not _a happy camper. Ciara shrunk into her seat, not believing what she had just done. She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the famous green light that would sentence her to immediate death.

"_You_." Alecto raised her wand, her eyes wide with anger and insanity. She pointed it at the girl, but decided she had other methods of teaching students their..._place_. "Cru—"

"Avis!," Neville roared, sending birds flying at the mad teacher. She yelped as they drove their beaks at her, growling and screaming. Neville silently congratulated himself on a job well done—he _still _had problems in charms.... Neville wanted to smile in triumph at the shocked stares, but there was nothing to smile about in this situation. He was going to have Ciara's curcio, and probably even longer....but....

A smile cracked onto Neville's lips, and he looked around, grinning from ear to ear. It was a quick comeback—smirks started to reach their faces too, and they were happy. They had, Neville realized,... _hope_.

Suddenly, the air ran cold—and it _wasn't _because Alecto finally got the birds away. A dementor had slid the door open, and all the happiness and hope that had been inside the room drained immediately. Neville started to feel nauseous, so he grabbed his head, trying to stop the dizziness. He started to have flashbacks of his family, and they weren't pleasant. Just gruesome, horrible, dark....

Then, pain racked up Neville's body, causing him to fall out his seat, screaming in agony. He curled in a ball as Alecto cruciartus-cursed him, withering in pain like a tree caught on fire. Everything was going black because all of his extra energy was dissolving like salt and water from the dementor. The disgusting being was causing everything to go hollow and empty—all the hope? Gone.

Neville couldn't let it do it. He had to be responsible. He had to make those smiles appear again. Trembling from the afflict as he tried to get a solid grip on his wand, Neville shut his eyes tight(very, _very _tight) and thought of what had happened only minutes(and merlin did it seem like hours) ago.

The beautiful, hopeful grins that appeared on their faces...it was like sun had sparkled down upon them. Like everything turned back to normal—everything was okay.

"Expecto Patronum," Neville forced out.

Suddenly, a gorgeous, vibrant light exploded from his wand. A lion roared wildly before it took a run around the classroom, shedding light and felicity amongst the horrified classmates. The dementor made a hollowfied scream before it quickly floated out the classroom. The lion stayed, running and growling with pride—telling everyone that everything would be just fine. It's light was impossible to compare; it was like the sun. For one, the clouds were naught and there was the shimmering, gorgeous sun.

And it was then, that Neville felt complete. When faith and mirth and just _joy! _blistered through the classroom, and smiles slid upon the classmates....Smiles that had been gone for so long, no one had laugh lines anymore....and they were all coming back! Laughter and cheers broke through the silence.

Neville dropped his wand, and he lost consciousness from the curciartus curse. But the lion stayed, it's paws padding against the air as it slowly made its way around the classroom, it's head held high and smile clear on its teeth.

From that day on, Neville was the symbol of hope for the school: light finally destroyed the darkness.


End file.
